Biography

Denmark’s Paul Elvstrøm is one of history’s greatest Olympians, winner of four consecutive individual yachting gold medals, and who competed as a yachtsman in eight Games over a 40-year period. He won the Firefly yachting class in 1948 and the Finn monotype class in 1952, 1956 and 1960 and was the first competitor in any sport to win individual gold medals at four successive Games. After being a reserve on the Danish team in 1964, he then competed in 1968 and 1972 without winning a medal. Elvstrøm also competed in 1984 and 1988 when his daughter, Trine, crewed for him, making them the only father/daughter combo to have competed together at the Olympics. Trine and Paul Elvstrøm were European champions in the Tornado class in 1983-84. He also won 13 World Championships in seven different monotype sailing classes. Paul Elvstrøm is one of only four Olympic athletes to have competed over a 40-year span.

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